The Feel Of The Far EastAdventurous in style, Xi has developed her own theme of cooking Chinese. Her background and style bought a whole new level to Lapta, North Cyprus. Working with her exiting Chinese influences – to her kitchen, brings new flavours to your table. Her unique signature dishes ensure a fine dining experience is waiting for you.

We ask what inspired her to bring the special style of cuisine to the Mediterranean. Xi begins to explain to NCM, “Hello, Xi, is my name, I am the head chef of Green Lotus, welcome to Green Lotus restaurant. I imagine I always admired and had a passion for people working with food. Creativity of cooking fascinated me, and the paradigm shift today, sees a fashionable statement in the food industry connected to lifestyle. Recipes I create stem from the roots of traditional Sichuan regional cuisine, I like to blend this with a modern approach”.

Lifestyle Destination North Cyprus“Following my visit to the island for a vacation sometime ago, I decided on an intense lifestyle change. Initially, for a holiday, I so enjoyed the sunny island lifestyle, I now live in North Cyprus today. The huge void for good Chinese food was to be my new life. Finding myself challenged, my skills and creativity settled in North Cyprus. I accepted the challenge, bringing my own signature style of cooking from my province, Chinas Sichuan, where my kitchen origins brought to Lapta, North Cyprus, I think the message is clear in terms of trying new horizons”. I asked how she sources ingredients? She answers “mainly marketplaces for the freshest ingredients. Knowledge is important, effectively influencing my style of cooking with amazing spices, researching marketplaces is something I do regularly, paying attention to analysing flavours of fresh herbs, adding new essence to dishes”.

“My kitchen originates from a province where my roots originate and where I was raised. Steeped in the finest Chinese cooking techniques, slices and flavours. I take pride and great pleasure when creating my infusions to ensure my recipes have their own seal and signature, always trying new things, I play with color sync in my presentations, I blend spices to ingredients and textures, continually improving my repertoire. I love working with food”.

Time For NCM To Wine and Dine!We were welcomed by Gregory (Xi’s partner) and showed to our table by friendly, professional staff, we order appetiser drinks and were given menus. Gregory followed shortly and helped us with our selection. Starters arrived of delicious crispy spring rolls and flavoursome home-made soups (tasted delicious); followed by classic regional ‘Crispy Fried Duck’, it held an exotic sensuous taste accompanied by a special spicy edge, vegetable noodles and egg fried rice, all tantalising to the taste-buds. Excellent bottle of wine completed our main course. After a ten minute break we were looking forward to our desert, a toffee and banana desert, the perfect end to the meal, of course Chinese Tea, mingled aromas and spices of the far east, we must say felt and tasted amazing.

Full A La-Carte Chinese MenuThe dazzling array of choices on their menu includes amazing starter soups, fragrant appetisers include satay chicken, crispy aromatic spring rolls. Main dishes we recommend are sizzling lamb (very tender), chicken noodle, sweet pepper chicken, prawn garlic dish with aromatic rice, beef and egg fried rice, just a few of their special dishes. We are impressed, not only with the food, but their friendly and professional staff with an eye for detail, service prompt, are eager to show their far eastern hospitality.

A Collaboration of Ambiance For Indoor & Outdoor Dining & Fragrant Chinese SpicesThe most flavoursome fragrant taste does not stop with the menu, at Chinese Lotus, the ambiance is just as beautiful, with the design edge on a fresh designed palette of cool white, black and green, within the essence of the far east, the pathway to tranquility awaits the discerning customer. There design has an eye-catching entrance adorned with beautiful garden terrace laid with the green of nature, natural wood and elaborate adorning of Chinese statues so very quaint. We know it is a journey you will love.

So, chopsticks to the ready! Prepare for the culinary delights, allow the flavours and influences of the far east take you over. Bon appetite !

At the age of ten Sophia moved from Sweden in 1998 and has since lived in several locations around the world including Spain, and has been residing in North Cyprus for four years now.
Her educational background is in marketing, hotel management and real estate, and she now works as a real estate agent and is editor in chief for New Cyprus Magazine.
If you any questions for Sophia, please write to: sophia@newcyprusmagazine.com.